The Arctic Fires

Co-operation between three northern educational institutions in the field of art and culture resulted in the film The Arctic Fires.

The Arctic Fires is a joint production of art and culture students from three separate educationallevels (Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences, University of Lapland and Vocational College Lappia).
The Sámi Education Institute and, as an international co-opetation partner, the University of Versailles were also involved.

The way of implementing the production is unique in Finland and even globally. The première of the one-hour long film was on 16 November 2011 in the event celebrating the Laestadius jubilee in Versailles.

The documentary film “Les Feux Arctiques” (The Arctic Fires), a joint production of the educational levels in the Institute for Northern Culture, tells about the scientific expedition of the group of explorers sent off to Lapland by King Louis Philippe I of France in the years 1838-1839. The guide of the expedition was Lars Levi Laestadius, a vicar, who complemented the research work of the French explorers in Lapland by providing his own scientific materials. For this valuable co-operation, King Louis Philippe I rewarded Laestadius with the insignia cross of the French Legion of Honour.

The Arctic Fires was directed, produced and filmed by students of Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Students from the University of Lapland designed the costumes and settings both of which students from the Vocational College Lappia implemented. They were also working both in the production and as filming assistants. Students from the Sámi Education Institute participated in the filming. The University of Versailles helped with the filming arrangements in France.

The central objective of the Institute for Northern Culture is to develop and coordinate the art and culture studies on three educational levels as well as build a common working model which crosses all three study levels. Tha aim is to extensively integrate culture and art and to strengthen the education in northern Finland. Experts in the fields of culture and art are educated in a production team where the students learn the professional skills of their own fields through practice.

The project The Arctic Fires is the first joint project in project pedagogy focusing on developing the co-operation models between educational institutions, teachers and students as well as meeting different cultures and ways of working in hands-on pilot productions. The project is funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Lapland and the European Social Fund (ESF).